Process of condensing milk.



J.' o. ALEXANDER. PROCESS OP CODENSING MILK.. APPLICATION FILED DEG.9,1910.

994,555. .Patented June 6, 1911.

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3u vente@ UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEiCE;

JAMES CHRISTIAN ALEXANDER, 0F ROSEBURG, OREGON.

rnocnss or AooNDENsINe MILK.

Specification o f Letters Patent.

Application led December 9, 1910. Serial No. 596,454.

Patented J une 6, 1911.

- To all whom it may concern: e ,Be it known that I, JAMES C. ALEXANDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roseburg, in the county of Douglas anda' State of Oregon, have invented certain new and usefulA Improvements in Processes of Condensing Milk, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatesto a novel' process by freezing for condensing milk.

The concentration of milk Vby hea-t in vacuum pans is well known, and possesses dlsadvantages, chief among 'which is the losing to a considerable extent, by the full milk, of a considerable amount of its aroma. This loss of aroma is dueto the escape from the full milk of the Ivolatile oils to be found in the butter fat. g

My invention aims to overcome the abovereferred to disadvantage, by= concentrating the milk by freezing in contra-distinction to heating it.

Anim ortant object of this'invention is i to previ e a process of the above described character .which will eXpedite'-and greatly cheaen the concentrating ofnnlk.

Ot er objects and advantages of this 1nvention will be apparent during the.v course aio of the 'following description.

In carrying out my process, full or skim milk-is introduced into a suitable receptacle, and a vacuum created therein to remove air from the milk and prevent Athe same vfrom bubbling or foaming.v The milk is then set inrapid rotary motion. The receptacle containing the milk is .next exposed uto a -freezing'medium', whereby the water in the outermost portion lof the. milk begins to freeze upon lthe inner wall 'of the-receptacle. The more solid constituents of the milk,

casein, butter fat, sugar of milk, etc., do-

not freeze as readily asthe water, and these collect in the central portion of the recephntacle: The more solid constituents, or the cdndensed' milk, may then be withdrawn ,from the receptacle.

In't-he accompanying drawing, forming a 'part ofthis specliieation, the figure is a central vertical sectionalview through an ap-` fstructure, having formed therethrough, for receiving and sup- 'porting t-he apparatus, comprising three `upper end of the innermost` ca vclosed by a stationary head 9,' having rigid paratus, within which my process may be advantageously'carried out. Y

Referring now to the drawing, within which a preferred embodiment of my apparatus is shown 'for carrying out my process, the numeral 1 designates a supporting a suitable. opening 2 substantially frusto-conical casings or shells 3, 4 and 5. These casings increase in diameter downwardly andl aredisposed one within the other.V The outermost casing 3 is bolted to aring 3, as shown at 4a. -The ca-sings 3 and 4 form a space therebetween for the reception of cork, charcoal or other heat insulating materialy 6. Disposed between the casings 3 and 4 near .their upper and lower ends respectively, 'are spacing rings 7 and 8, which arerigidly connected to 'said casings in any suitable mansper. The

connection with the upper ring 7 in\any suit-able manner. The lower end -of this innermost -casing is normally closed by a swingingly mounted head 10, which may preferably be curved ein cross-section, asshown. The lower heads 10 has a hinged connectionwith the casing 5, as shown at 11. Theilower head'lO is locked in its closed position by a hand-screw 12, operating within a screw-threaded opening 13 formed through the lower spacing ring 8.

The 'upper head 9 is provided preferably spider-bearing 18, with an opening' for receiving one end of a draw-oli:l pipe 19 which carries a valve 20, as shown. A second p'ipe 21 has connection preferably with the upper head 9, as shown, for supplying milk within the casing 5. This second pipe may Have suitable connection with a milk holding t-ank (not shown) and is provided with a cut-oil' .valve 22. The head 9 has suitable connection with a vacuum ipe 21, as shown, which is connected with a vacuum tank (not shown). The vacuum pipe 21B carries a cut-off valve 22, as shown. upon the upper head 9 is a pair of upstanding arms 23, carrying heads 24, through which is suitably journaled a horizontal driving shaft 25. This driving shaft may receive its rotation from any suitable source. The driving shaft 25 carries a fast bevelgear 26, which is in constant-mesh with a second bevel-gear 27,` having' rigid' connection with the spindle 15, as shown. Disposed near the lower end of the apparatus, is a pipe 28, which is *adaptedl to supply a cooling medium such as liquefied ammonia,

carbonio acid gas, brine solution or the like, to within the casing 4. The pipe 28 is provided with a cut-off valve 29, as shown. Disposed adjacent the upper end of the apparatus, is a pipe 30, which is adapted to withdraw the freezing'medium previously introduced `within the casing 4. The pipe 30 is provided with a'cut-o' valve 31.l

In practicing my process in connection with the above described apparatus, the milk is first introduced within the casing 5 through the pipe 21.` The valve 22 is then opened, whereby the air is exhausted from the receptacle 5, and a' suitable vacuum formed "therein `The spindle 15 is subsequently set in rapid rotation, whereby the milk is made to rapidly rotate within the casing 5, by virtue of the agitators or paddles 15a. While the milk is thus being rapidly rotated, either liqueed ammonia, carbonic acid gas, brine solution, or any suitable freezing medium is introduced through.

pipe 28 into ca sing 4. The outermost portlon of the mllk in engagement with the caslng 5, becomes the coldest, whereby tlfe water contained therein is lowered suili` ciently in temperature to freeze and form a lm of ice upon the inner surface of said casing. The more solid constituents of the milk, casein, butter -fat, sugar of milk, etc., do not-freeze as readily as the water, and are washed away from the film of ice, to be collected in the central portion of the casing 5, and subsequently withdrawn throu h pipe 19. The concentration de ends oli-tie fact that the water is frozen 1n the outer layer of the mass and the other elements of this part of the milk are mixed with the 11n- Disposedl vwhich event the process may be carried out in the casing 5, as above described. By exhaustin the-air from within the casing 5, the mil may be agitated under a vacuum, whereby the milk bein deprived of air will not foam or bubble. fter the withdrawal of the condensed milk the freezing medium is withdrawnl through the pipe 30, from within the casing 4. A heatlng medium, such as heated ammonia gas or the like, may now be introduced through the pipe 28 into casin 4, whereby the sheet of ice above reerre to as being deposited or formedupon' the interior of the casing 5, is loosened from the same, and upon winging the lower head 10 to its open position, such sheet of ice may be readily removed or will drop from within the casing 5. This ice can be collected and utilized, whereby the cost of carrying out thel process is materially reduced. 9 Y Although I have shown and described my process in connection with the concentration of milk, yet other uids such as sugar water,

gelatin solution, and glue' solution, may be advantageously concentrated by the said process. gThe invention is thought to besufficiently broad in' scope to cover the concentration of almost any fluid composed of two or more constituents that freeze at different temperatures; V.

I wish it understood that the form' of my apparatus-herewith shown and described, 1s'l Ito be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape,

vsize and arrangement of parts may beresorted to without departing from the spirit invention, 1

'ing a vacuum within the receptacle to remove the air from the milk, agitating themilk after the vacuum is createdand the air removed from said milk whereby such agitation will not cause the milk to foam, and applying a freezing medium to the exterior of the receptacle to cause the water in the outer portion of the mass of the milk to freeze, the other elements of the said outer portion of the milk-becoming mixed with theunfrozen milk.

2. The herein described process ofv concentrating milk, whichV comprises the placing of the milk in a closed receptacle, exhausting the air from the receptacle to remove such air from the milk, rotating the of the milk becomingmixed with the un- 10 milk after the air has been exhausted from frozen milk. f

the receptaele and removed from said milk In testimony whereof I aiX my signature whereby such rotation will -not cause the in presence of two witnesses. Y milk toioamyand applyin a freezing medium to the exterior of e receptacle to JAMES CHRISTIAN'MEXNDER' cause the water in the outer portion of the Witnesses: mass of themilk to freeze, the other ele- F. W. DILLARD,

ments of thesaid outer portion of the mass t GLA. HARMON. .I 

